Separating or classifying machine



Nov. 1, 1927. 1,647,815A

- W. A. RIDDELL SEPARATING 0R CLASSIFYNG MACHINE Filed Feb. 2. 1926 INVEN TOR.

4 BY Wn Y ATToRNE Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

y:P.Ix-.fwrENi-g OFFICE..

WILLIAM A. RIDDELL, OF FREDERICK, MARYLAND.

SEPABATI-NG OR CLASSIFYING MACH-INE.

Application filed February My invention relates broadly toclassifyingnor separating machinery and more particularly to aconstruction of classifying machine which material is passed vover a 5plurality of driven rollers which operate to pass material of a desiredsize while depositing material of loversize into a concentrated mass.

One ofthe objects of my invention is to provide a separatin'gorclassifying machine vhaving a plurality `of driven rollers adl`just'ably spaced from one yanother with means forl preventing cloggingofthe rollers by materia-l lodging between the rollers in the course" ofthe passage of the material n over rollers. f

Another object of my invention is to yprovide ai classifying machine'Ahaving a plurallity `of spaced roller members with means locatedbetween the roller members at spaced intervals along the length thereforfor continnonsly agitating material Vwhich may become wedged" betweenthe rollers of the classifying machine. v 1 y Still anotherobject of myinvention is to provide f a construction' of Vseparating or classifyingmachine having a., plurality of longitudinally extending agitatormembers located between the rollers for freeing the machine from anytendency of the material which is passed through the separating machinefrom clogging between the rollers.

A `further object of my invention is to provide a construction of"classifying vma- 35. chine having a frame for supporting a pluralf-ityof longitudinally extending roller members anda pluralityv of laterallyextend 'i ing shaftimembers with cutting disk devices which project'upwardly' between the rollers 4 for vclearing thek gaps therebetween ofmaterial which may' tend to clog the space between the rollers withmeans for driving the.

rollers and; clearingy disks from the same source of power.

, My invent on vwill be moregclearly understood from the specificationhereinafter 'following by reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein: y j

Figure lis a plan view kof thel separating 'or' classifying 'machine yofmyinventi'on; F ig. 2 is. a longitudinal cross-sectional" view. throughVthev separating or yclassifying machine ta-ken on line 22y of Fig. l.;and Fig. alateral cross-sectional'. View through 2, 192'6.- Serial' No.85,551.

the separating machine` of Fig; 1 along line V3--3 thereof-.-

Referring to the 'drawings in more detail, reference characters l and 2designate longitudinally"extending frame members which have laterallyextending frame members 3 and 4 connected thereto. A gear. casev 5 islocated at one end of the frame for housing vided which may be drivenfrom any suitable source of power such as belt member 10.

VThe sepa-rating or' classifying machiney is provided lwithv a pluralityof longitudinally extending rollersrepresented at 11, l2, 13, 14,15 and1%6 which;l are journale'd at opposite ends in bearing membersl which'are' ad- 'j-ustably positionedl in the laterally extend- -mg fra-memembers 3 and 4. As' illustrated inthe drawing, bearingsk 17 and. 18 areprovided for the opposite ends of the roller member 1.1;Bearings19-and--20 are provided for the opposite ends of roller memberl2. Similarly', bearings 2l and .22 are provided for the opposite-endsof roller member 13.A y In' a corresponding manner the kroll-er memberMis journaled' at yopposite ends lin bearings 28 `and 24E.v Rollermember ,125 ,is journal'ejd in: bearings 25 and 26 at opposite :endsthereof andgl'ik-ewise roll-er member 1'6V` is journaled in bearings 27rand 28 at opposite ends lthereof'. yThe manner of ends of therollers'hasv been described more particularly in my copendingapplicationv Serial No. 74,501,1'iled December 1-0, 1925.v

It will' be sullicient topoint yout'that the gaps betweenV the rollermembers may be set by means of Ia lsuitable gauge and the bearingsadjusted along'the laterally extending frame members tota ydesiredlocationV 'dependent upon the size of the material which Vis to beillustrated but three of these vshaft members,

adjusting the bea-ring membersat opposite it will beY understoodthatany*desired nfumber may be provided at spaced intervals along Athe length ofthe roller member 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. These shaft members arejournaled in bearings carried by the longitudinally extending framemembers. For example, the shaft member 29 is journaled in bearings 32and 33; shaft member 30 in bearings 34 and 35; and shaft member 31 isjournaled in bearings 36 and 37. Each of the shaft members extendsbeyond the frame of the classifying machine and is provi-ded with meansfor rotatably driving the several shafts from the source of powerdelivered by the drive pulley 9. Shaft 29 is provided with a bevel gear38 which meshes with a bevel gear 39 keyed on longitudinally extendingshaft 40. The shaft 40 also carries bevel gears 41 and 42 meshing withbevel gears 43 and 44 respectively for imparting rotative movement tothe laterally extending shafts 29, 30 and 31. The shaft 40 is journaledin bearings 45 `and 4G which project from the longitudinally extendingframe member 2. The end of shaft 40 is coupled through auniversal joint47 with a rotatable drive shaft 48 journaled in bearing 49 and providedon its extremity With bevel gear 50 which meshes with the bevel gear 51carried by drive shaft 6.- By this arrangement pow-er delivered atpulley 9 is utilized to drive each of the rollers 11, 12, 13, V14, 15and 16 through bevel gear connections with bevel gears 7 and 8 as hasbeen illustrated by way of example at 52 and 53 at thefsame time thatshafts 29, 30 and 31 are rotating. The shaft members 29, 30 and 31 carryagitator members or sets of cutting disks 29", 308M and 31a,respectively. The cutting disks project between the longitudinallyextending gaps which separate the roller members and serve to maintainthe space between the rollers free from clogging of material which isbeing operated `upon by the classifying machine which might otherwisetend to wedge between the rollers and impair the operation of themachine. The sets of disks 29a, 30, and 31a may be provided with cuttingside surfacesor edges to more adequately cut away material which mayclog between the rollers.

` I provide a hopper supported from the `frame members consisting of theinclined longitudinally extending plate members 54 and 55 and an endplate member 56 for directing the material which is to be classified ina downward direction over the rollers. As illustrated inthe drawings theclassifying machine isY disposed on an incline permitting material ofdesired size to be passed through the rollers and oversize material isdischarged over the end of the machine into a concentrated mass. I havefound this invention particularly applicable for the separation of coal,but I desire that it be understood that the machine may be used for anypurposes where it is desired to classify material into differentpredetermined sizes.

vWhile I have described my invention in a certain preferred embodiment,the agitator members may be varied in size and shape and I desire thatit be understood that other modifications of the structure may be madewithout depart-ing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in theappended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis as follows: y

1. Ina separating or classifying machine, the combination of a frame, aplurality of longitudinally extending rollers journaled in said frame,means for driving said rollers, a plurality of rotatable meanspositioned laterally with respect to the axes of said rollers andarranged to prevent the clogging of material between said rollers, said'plurality of means being driven from said first mentioned means intimed relation to t-he rotation of said rollers, whereby materialto beseparated may be deposited over said rollers and material of apredetermined size passed between said rollers, while the gaps betweenthe rollers are maintained free from clogging of said material.

2. A separating or classifying machine comprising in combination a framestrueture, a plurality of longitudinally extending roller membersjournaled .in said frame structure, driving means at one end of saidframe structure for imparting rotative movement to said roller members,a plurality of laterally extending shaft members journaled in said framestructure, means extending from said driving means at the end of saidframe structure for imparting rotative movement to said laterallyextending shaft members and agitator devices carried by said laterallyextending shaft members and arranged to pass between said roller membersfor maintaining the space therebetween free from clogging of materialwhich is being classified, said agitator members being operative intimed-relation to the rotation of ksaid roller members.

3. A separating or classifying machine vcomprising in combination aframe structure,

a plurality of longitudinally extending roller members .journaled inbearings adjustably positioned in opposite ends of said frame structure,driving mechanism located at one end of said frame structure forimparting rotative movement to said roller members, a plurality oflaterally extending rotatable shaft members journaled in said framestructure, means for imparting rotative movement to said shaft membersfrom said'driving mechanism, a plurality of agitator disks carried bysaid rotatable shaft members and arranged to kbe moved between saidlongitudinally extending roller members for maintaining the spacebetween said roller members .free from clogging by material which isbeing classified, said disk being operated in timed relation withrespect to the rotation of said rollers. v

4. A separat-ing or classifying machine comprising in combination aframe structure, a. plurality of longitudinally extending roller membersjournaled in bearings adjustably positioned in opposite ends of saidframe structure, driving` mechanism located at one end of said framestructure for imparting rotative movementto said roller members, avplurality of laterally extending rotatable shaft members journaled insaid frame structure, means for imparting rotative movement to saidshaft members from said driving mechanism, and means actuated byrotation of said lshaft members for maintaining the gaps between saidroller members free from clogging of material ,said frame, means fordriving said rollers,

said rollers being spaced apart throughout their length, andagitatormembers arranged to project between Said rollers andsubstantially fill the gaps therebetween and rollers operating tomaintain the gans between said rollers longitudinally of the lengththereof, free from clogging by material which is being classiied, saidagitator members operating in timed relation to the motion of saidrollers.

In testimony whereof I alx my signa-ture.

WILLIAM A. RIDDELL.

